1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to card games and sport competitions and to methods for carrying out the play of each in a combined manner. The present invention relates more specifically to a poker game method of play that incorporates rules and scoring that simulate the play of a sporting event.
2. Description of the Related Art
Card games played with a standard deck of 52 cards remain very popular whether in an informal environment (as a “parlor” game), a more formal gambling environment (as a “casino” game), or an electronic environment (as a “video” game). The card game of poker, in its various forms and formats, has in fact enjoyed a significant resurgence in recent years. Equally popular as entertainment diversions (as well as the focus of gambling) are sporting events and sport competitions. Although the play of the card game of poker is quite different from the play of most sport competitions, the individuals drawn to participate as players or spectators to these two activities are often the same.
Some efforts have been made in the past to combine the play of a simulated sporting event with games involving a deck of cards. The efforts in the past generally fall into a number of discrete categories. A first set of game methods of play utilize a standard deck of cards (52 cards in 4 suits of 13 ranked cards each suit) simply as a mechanism for generating random events that can be associated with events in the sports competition. In other words, a particular card in a standard 52-card deck may, by rule, be associated with a particular sport action event (a base hit, a field goal, a free throw, etc.) in a manner that allows the players to direct and determine the progress of a sporting event simulation according to the directives generated by progressively turning or playing the cards in a standard deck. Examples of patents that reflect such game methods of play are provided below and include patents issued to McCarthy, Jr. and Crowder.
A second type of game method of play developed in the past incorporates card games and sporting events in a manner that generally dispenses with a standard deck of cards and replaces it with cards bearing specific indicia and instructions for proceeding with the simulation of the sporting event. For the most part, these sporting event simulation game methods of play, and the devices and materials they describe using, do not incorporate specialized indicia onto a standard deck of cards, but rather start from scratch with a completely unique set of cards. Examples of patents that reflect such game methods of play are provided below and include patents issued to Fisher et al., Chester, Poisson, Tanaka, White et al., Sanon, and Harnish.
A number of additional efforts have been made in the past that describe the concept of combining secondary methods of play in conjunction with the play of poker. Typical among these is a game product that has been on the market for some time, known as PO-KE-NO®. PO-KE-NO® is a game that combines elements of bingo with keno and poker. This game however does not incorporate rules or scoring associated with a sporting event in combination with the rules of the game of poker.
There have also been efforts in the past to integrate poker games into the video and Internet environment. The flexibility that such environments provide allows the addition of features to the game that go well beyond the basic features associated with a 52-card deck poker game. Examples of patents that reflect such video game methods of play are provided below and include patents issued to Lucianno, Jr. et al. and Suttle et al.
In general therefore, there have been efforts made in the past to diversify and vary the play of poker by adding features of other card games or other games of chance. There have also been efforts to simulate the play of sporting events with unique decks of cards that introduce the randomness of the shuffled deal into the game method of play. Both poker and sporting events have been separately introduced into the electronic gaming environment. Nothing in the prior art however, has adequately combined the game method of poker with the competitive scoring associated with a variety of sporting events. Some of the efforts in the past described above include those reflected in the following U.S. Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,461 issued to Pernatozzi on Oct. 13, 1998, entitled Game for a Casino describes a video slot machine game that combines (in a video environment) a baseball configuration including first base, second base, third base, and home plate in connection with the progressive appearance of cards from a deck. Various methods for scoring and providing point totals as well as controlling the play of the game are described. Wagers are typically placed in a progressive manner as the game proceeds from first base through to home plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,669 issued to Lucianno, Jr. et al. on Jul. 31, 2001, entitled Hybrid Gaming Apparatus and Method describes a combination game that includes coordination and dexterity aspects, as well as traditional game rules of play. The player performs a first stage of the game that requires dexterity and then a second stage of the game play that depends upon the occurrence of certain predefined events.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,721 issued to Harnish on Jan. 11, 2000, entitled Basketball Card Game describes both an apparatus and a method for carrying out a sports card game, specifically a basketball game. The game materials include a deck of cards and dice for generating random numbers. Each card describes an event in the game method of play and the dice are utilized to determine the success of the event. The objective is to make certain events occur as frequently during the game as similar events would occur in the actual sporting event.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,617 issued to Sanon on Dec. 27, 1988, entitled Tennis Card Game provides a game method of play utilizing three decks of playing cards, two decks being identical and bearing indicia representative of typical tennis strokes, and a third deck (a “serving” deck) that contains cards bearing indicia representative of service conditions. Cards are drawn by the respective player to determine the results of the play of the game, typically along the lines of progress in a tennis match.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,544 issued to White et al. on May 8, 2001, entitled Card Game for the Simulation of a Sports Game describes an apparatus for playing a game that includes a set of opaque cards, each having two opposite faces carrying markings that are used in playing the game. Each card contains regions that are divided into two sets, one for each of the two opposing teams. One face of each card bears the representation of a ball (being handled in some action) and the opposite face carries a representation of a defending player.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,092 issued to McCarthy, Jr. on May 20, 2003, entitled Hockey Card Game describes a card game played in conjunction with an erasable board. The game uses three 52-card playing decks to simulate real ice hockey matches. The hockey game incorporates a variety of circumstances and activities (such as actions) that include major and minor penalties, penalty shots, goal shots, puck passes, one-man power plays, two-man power plays, offensive and defensive open net, and breakaway situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,434 issued to Tanaka on Sep. 30, 2003, entitled Baseball Card Game describes the use of a specialized deck of cards referred to as player cards that contain player photographs as well as various types of additional information utilized for scoring during the play of the game. The information includes a batting table as well as fielding force indicators related to the position of the player. The play involves progressive reference to a pitcher card, as well as fielding force indicators on a player card. Batting table indicators on a player card provide the offensive scoring mechanism for the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,107 issued to Fisher et al. on Dec. 16, 2003, entitled Card Game describes an apparatus and method for playing a card game while watching a sporting event such as a baseball game. Players in the game select cards from the cards they are dealt which describe a result that the card game player believes is most likely to occur during the play of the actual sporting event being watched (live on TV for example). The game proceeds in a manner parallel to that associated with the actual sporting event being watched.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,036 issued to Chester on Mar. 5, 1996, entitled Football Card Board Game describes an apparatus, and method incorporating two parallel football fields on a dry erase board surface. Using color markers and the like, players indicate the progress of each of their possessions of the ball during the game. The game includes a number of dice as well as a pack of 54 cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,581 issued to Poisson on May 12, 1998, entitled Apparatus and Method of Playing a Basketball Board Game describes a game method of play that includes a design layout of a basketball court on a game board as well as a deck of passing cards, a deck of rebound cards, a deck of foul shot cards, and a deck of playing cards. Most of the cards in the game carry instructions used to replicate the progress of a basketball game.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,355,785 issued to Dorfman entitled Game or Similar Device describes a card game that utilizes a conventional playing card deck. A game board is described that includes a number of rows of fields arranged and spaced in a table format. Each of the sections on the game board is sized to allow the positioning of a number of the playing cards. The game to be played is similar to that of the game of poker and includes a specific manner of wagering on the winner of a hand of poker.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,173 issued to Crowder on Sep. 8, 1992 entitled Baseball Game describes a game method of play utilizing baseball player trading cards, a die and a deck of standard playing cards. The player cards are divided into teams, each with a pitcher, and a die is tossed to determine which player or pitcher is used. A standard playing card is then selected to determine which cell in the matrix creates the play simulating the play of a baseball game.
Once again it can be seen that most of the efforts in the previous art fall into one of the two or three categories mentioned above. One group of patent references that might be identified as “combination games” are much like the well known PO-KE-NO® game in that they combine the game of poker with a second card game or second game of chance of some type. In some cases, the process involves playing a single card game that incorporates elements of multiple games, and in other cases, the process simply involves playing a hand of poker while the same cards are being used to play a round in a second distinct game. A second group of patents that might be identified as “game actions” generally utilize or incorporate specialized decks of playing cards to establish a random method for generating different sports actions (that result in scores). Some of these patents describe game methods of play that involve the use of cards in conjunction with the simulation of a sporting event. These patents describe the use of unique cards that are not intended to be used in conjunction with additional card games, much less a game of poker. Perhaps a third group of patents can be characterized in the previous art as “wagering games” that involve the process of using a deck of cards as a mechanism for wagering on the outcome of an actual sporting event being watched.
None of the efforts in the previous art, however, truly combine the features of the game of poker with the simultaneous play of a simulated sporting event. Nothing in the earlier efforts described allows for wagering on both the results of the play of a hand of poker and the scoring results associated with the simulated play of a sporting event. It would be desirable to combine the game skills associated with the play of the game of poker (and the betting that accompanies such play) with a game method that simulates scoring in a sporting event and the accumulation of points in the sport. It would be desirable to combine these game methods of play in such a manner that provides a unique challenge to a player to make decisions regarding actions to take in the play of the dual outcome game and the process of betting on those outcomes. In other words, it would be a unique challenge to a player to balance the assembly of a “winning” poker hand with the assembly of a “winning” sports scoring hand, and further to bet on both of these outcomes at the same time.